Daily Devotional

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

Do you not hear the voice of the Lord?

 

His voice echoes above the sea, and is louder than thunder. His voice is powerful, and majestic; with just one word He can split the mighty cedars. When He speaks – the earth shakes! So listen carefully to everything He tells you. Remember that anyone who will not listen and obey will be completely cut off from His provision in the days ahead. 

 

Give Your children great boldness in preaching Your word. Help us to seize every opportunity to tell others about you. Help us to take everything to you in prayer. Let our meetings shake because Your children are filled with the Holy Spirit. Help us to be UNITED in heart and mind, and not feel that what we own is for us; but be willing to share everything we have so that Your children are not in need.  Lord give us the strength and willingness to do all that You require of us, and we will be blessed with Your peace. Then the world will see that even though Your children are ordinary men and women with no special training in the Scriptures, they will know that they have been with Jesus. 

 

Son, judgment has fallen upon America when the leaders spoke with such pride and arrogance after 9/11/2001. When they said on September 12, 2001 by the US Senate and House of Representatives, issuing a joint resolution in response to the attack of 9/11 by Senate Majority Leader Democrat – Tom Daschle: “I know that there is only the smallest measure of inspiration that can be taken from this devastation, but there is a passage in the Bible from Isaiah that I think speaks to all of us at a time like this. ‘The bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild with dressed stone; the fig trees have been felled, but we will replace them with cedars.'”

 

Son, I have responded to them by saying, “After all this punishment, the people of America will still not repent. They will not seek Me. There leaders are misleading the people, by leading them down the path of destruction. They still have unjust judges and politicians who make unfair laws.  So what will I do? I will punish them, by sending disaster upon disaster. Then where will America turn for help? Where will they hide their treasures to keep it safe?”

 

So warn them not to speak with such pride and arrogance, and My children must be prepared.

Needed: Reformation – Chapter 1

Posted by & filed under Franks Blog.

BACKGROUND OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH

 

It was said that Isaiah’s ministry lasted for about sixty years and that he supposedly died under the terrible reign of Manasseh. Jewish tradition says that he was brutally martyred by being placed in a hollowed trunk of a tree and then “sawed in two.”

 

Reading through the book of Isaiah one is impressed with his vivid sense of the majesty of God. When we look into Isaiah chapter 40 we will see that he compares God to how we think in terms of greatness, and then he says that there is no comparison.

 

One of the main things that Isaiah is speaking against is the outward forms of religion with no inward reality. Reading through Isaiah one is impressed with qualities like “boldness, patriotism, tenderness, broad sympathy, stormy indignation at hypocrisy, with deep spirituality and a profound sense of the Divine majesty.” Isn’t this something missing today in our churches and meetings together? Are not these the things of character that should be more in our preaching today?

 

When Isaiah began his preaching career several things were happening in Israel. The ten tribes (Israel) were nearing destruction by Assyria whose capital was Nineveh.  They were desperate times.

 

Israel joined with Syria under the leadership of Damascus. Judah would not join so Israel and Syria invaded Judah to coerce Ahaz, the king of Judah, to join the confederacy. So we find Ahaz making a treaty with Assyria and marching forth to overthrow Syria and Israel. So Judah then became dependent on Assyria.

 

Later Hezekiah rebelled against the King of Assyria. Isaiah was always advocating that Judah’s dependence should be upon Jehovah and not some earthly monarch. However, the king of Assyria came to lay low Judah and since Egypt failed to respond to help, Judah had to buy off the King of Assyria with gold, etc. and so again became dependent upon Assyria.

 

Later when Assyria was coming to attack Judah and Jerusalem Hezekiah heeded Isaiah’s advice and trusted in the Lord to deliver them from this ‘present danger’ coming upon them in the form of Assyrian army. The result was that God sent His angel and a great disaster fell upon the army, and from which King Sennacherib never recovered.

 

Judah was freed from the threat of invasion and enjoyed a season of peace.

 

When we come to Isaiah 40 we see that there is turn in God’s approach to His people. They have repented and now are turning back to God and so we read in Isaiah 40:1-2: “‘Comfort, comfort my people,’ says your God.  ‘Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins.’”

 

Later we have the words: “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.’” Isaiah 40:3

 

The same words are repeated in Matthew 3:3 “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him,’” referring to John Baptist prior to the first coming of the Lord.

 

In reading through Isaiah 40 one sees what ‘reformation’ will do and what is needed today. 

 

Daily Devotional

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

America is no stronger than its capital.

 

Shouldn’t the leaders of America ask God for guidance? They contradict His word, and are completely in the dark. While in the view of the public they speak friendly words, yet they are planning evil in their hearts. They care nothing for what the Lord has done for them, or what His hands have made. So wherever these leaders look, they will see trouble, anguish and dark despair.

 

Someday soon our Lord will return! So His children need to heed His strong warning not to think like everyone else does, and don’t live in dread of what frightens the world. Make the Lord holy in your life, by knowing and obeying the word of God; then wait for Him. When The Lord is your light and salvation then you will not be afraid! When The Lord is your fortress, He will protect you from danger. You will not tremble!

 

When we, the Lord’s Spirit-filled people, meet together and are united in prayer, then we will know the way to go, and be filled with the joy of His presence. When we become devoted to the teaching of the word of God, to real fellowship and prayer, sharing what we have with other believers; then we will be ready for that great and glorious Day when the Lord arrives!

 

My heart has heard You Lord when You said, “Come and talk with me, for I am coming soon. Don’t leave, or abandon My teachings. But remember that even if your father or mother could abandon you; I will hold you close.”

Daily Devotional

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

Life can change in a moment.

 

For all that God has done for America He expected to find justice, but instead He see’s oppression. He expected to find righteousness, but only heard cries of violence. The leaders of America never think about God or even notice what He is doing. They have become wise in their own eyes and think themselves so clever. They despised the word of God, by saying it is not relevant for today. They shout, “Don’t you realize that we have the power?”

 

They have no power unless God has given it to them. Therefore, how sad it will be in the coming day when these people who drag their sins behind them with ropes made of lies. How sad it will be for those who say that evil is good and good is evil. How sad it will be for those who have rejected the Word of God.

 

So what are we going to do; those who belong to Jesus? Will we say, “Everything is going against me!” Or will we say, “Here I am. Send me.”?

 

Lord, I give my life to you, show me the right path to take. Lead me by Your truth. May integrity and honesty protect me, for I put my hope in You. Help me to live according to Your truth. Then I will stand on solid ground, and I will publicly praise You to this world.

 

Don’t be a secret disciple of Jesus Christ, not any longer faithless. Believe! Believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in Him you will have life by the power of His name.

 

Daily Devotional

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

To know the Truth one must know the only true God, and His son Jesus Christ, the one who came to earth. Truth in prayer is not to pray for the world, but for those who belong to Jesus, and that Jesus would protect them by the power of His name; that His children would be united just as Jesus and the Father are. The truth is that this world hates anyone who follows Jesus, and are united in Him because this shows that they do not belong to the world, just as Jesus did not belong to the world. The truth is that the followers of Jesus are made holy by His truth; which is the Bible. The truth is when the followers of Jesus are one, and experience such perfect unity, the world will know that Jesus loves them as much as He loves His followers. The truth is that Jesus came into the world to testify to the truth, and all who love the truth will recognize that what He said of Himself – is true.

 

Truth is, the leaders of America have mislead the people, and have sent them down the wrong road. Truth is that this road will take away everything the people depend on. People will begin to oppress each other, and young people will have no respect for the elderly. Vulgar people will make fun of those who follow the truth. Truth is that America will stumble, and fall, because they have spoken out against the Lord and refuse to obey Him. Truth is that American has the blood of innocent unborn children on their hands. Truth is that they display the sin of homosexuality like the people of Sodom did, and they have lost all shame so that they don’t even try to hide it. Truth is that the America people have brought this destruction upon themselves.

 

The truth for the followers of Jesus is that The Lord is their Shepherd, and they will have all that they need. He will give them rest in green meadows, and lead them beside peaceful streams. He will renew their strength, and lead along His path, which will bring honor to His name. Truth is that when His people walk through the darkest valley, they will not be afraid, for He is close beside those who walk with Him. Truth is that the word of God will protect and comfort you. Truth is only those who are pure in Jesus’s eyes will receive His blessing, because they have a right relationship with Jesus who is their blessed Savior.

 

Daily Devotional

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

Lord, what does it matter if I serve You? Looking at this world with wars, hunger, disease, people calling evil good and good evil, and it is just getting worse all the time!  What have Your children gained by obeying Your word and showing You that we are sorry for our sins. The distinction between those who belong to You and those who do not – is hard to see!  You said, “People of the world will see the difference between Your children and the wicked, between those who serve You and those who do not. That Your children’s love for one another will prove to the world that they are Your children.”

 

Son, I am the One who answers Your prayers when you are in distress. I have been with you wherever you have gone.  I am “El-Shaddai-God Almighty.” Remember what I told you: “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in!”

 

All who love Me will do what I tell them to do, no mattter what, and I have prepared a place for them. Everything is ready, and I am coming to get them, so that they will always be with Me. Remember, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one can come to the Father except through Me. Therefore, because you do what I say, You can ask for anything in My name, and I will do it; yes, anything! Try it! Put this promise to the test!

 

The world isn’t looking for Me; therefore it cannot recognize Me. But My children know Me, because I live within them. My Holy Spirit will teach them, and will remind them of everything I have said. I gave My children the gift of peace of mind and heart; which the world can not give, or understand. So don’t be troubled or afraid. For the day of judgment is coming, and then I will set up My kingdom.

 

Lord, forgive me for I almost slipped, and forgot that Your word is perfect, and it revives my soul. Your word is trustworthy, making me wise. Your words are right, and brings joy to my heart. Your words are clear, giving insight for living, and their is a great reward for those who obey them. Your words will keep me from deliberate sins, and not allow them to control me.

 

Holy Spirit, thank You for leading me into all truth.

Daily Devotional

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

To overcome fear we must remember the promises of God.

 

Soon the day will be here when the Lord will return. Therefore, His children must quickly carry out what He commanded us before He left. Give sight to those who are blind as to who Jesus is, and to show those who think they know Him – what they lack in knowledge. Jesus said, “Those who know Me recognize My voice. I call to My children by name and I lead them. I walk ahead of them, and they follow Me because they know My voice. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. For, no one can snatch them away from Me!”

 

“You want to know who are My true heroes of today? Those who follow Me, and stand for the truth even if it costs them everything, even their life. When theses heroes speak – people will listen because they speak the truth from sincere hearts. These heroes will be able to stand firm in the days ahead.” 

 

So what about those people who say they know Jesus, but don’t? What will they do when all of their possessions are taken right in front of them? Will they run away and deny that they know Jesus? What about those pastor’s who teach the Bible as a book, and are afraid to preach from their pulpits against what is taking place today; afraid that if they do – the government will remove their tax deduction status from them; afraid that their buildings and ministry will stop because of a lack of money. These pastors are working only for the money they receive and do not really care about God’s children. 

 

So, how do I overcome all of the fears that are coming to those who follow Jesus? I must remember that He is always with me. Therefore, I will not be shaken. He will show me the way to go and will grant me the joy of His presence. I will live with Him forever. 

 

 

 

 

 

Daily Devotional

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

FREEDOM!

 

This is from the Lord, who stretched out the heavens, laid the foundations of the earth, and formed the human spirit. “Only a fools say in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ But anyone who belongs to Me listens gladly to My words, and they will know the truth, and the truth will set them free.”

 

“If you are truly my disciples then remain faithful to My teachings, and you won’t have to walk in darkness; you will have the light that leads to life. Remember that if I set you free, you are truly free.”

 

Freedom will allow me to break free from the man made walls of religion.

Are We Losing the West? Part 30

Posted by & filed under Franks Blog.

 What Can We Do? part 9

 

Revelation 13:16-17 “He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.”

 

We see from the above passage that a time is coming when there will be strict government control on all that we do in buying and selling, as well as in so many others things. Even today in most of our countries in the West we find that a lot of our life is under government control through many government regulations. One thing that we have in the West is religious freedom, but we can see that this too is being infringed upon and we are in danger of losing it.

 

I was talking with a brother and he mentioned how the mark of the Beast is already in play here in our society. He was referring to America and this reference as to the tax exemption that churches have. He went on to mention how many churches are afraid to speak out on certain issues, especially political issues in fear of losing their tax exemption status. Was he right? I think he might have a valid point, because of the tax exemption status given to us by the government and through political correctness we find that the government is controlling a lot of what we say or preach from the pulpit.

 

It would seem that the “upper and lower story” that Francis Schaefer brought out might be in operation more in our preaching than we might like to think. Like I wrote about in my series “Biblical Worldview,” our Biblical worldview affects everything in life: marriage, family, politics, government, economics, entertainment, media, education, etc. In a Biblical worldview there is no such thing as an upper story (our spiritual life) and lower story (our secular life). There is only one floor and our spiritual life, or lack of it, affects our physical life. Our spiritual life affects absolutely everything.

 

Wallbuilders David Barton brings out some important points regarding the founding of America during the revolutionary period and how the Lord used what was known as the “Black-Robed Brigade.” This was a name given by the British to pastors who in their preaching used rhetoric to bring out Biblical principles in which to guide the congregation in building a just and righteous civilization. They preached the Word of God without fear or favor. They boldly proclaimed the Word of God to everything that pertained to life whether spiritual or temporal. There was no upper and lower room in their preaching. They fearlessly preached and brought the Word of God to bear upon the main issues of the day.

 

Today we live in times of great deception and there is a need for great discernment in moving through all of the subtle, but real and deadly traps the enemy has placed in front of us seeking to stop and hinder us.

 

Why are we, here in the 21st century, in a situation where we have started to call evil good and good evil? Isn’t it because man’s reasoning has superseded God’s wisdom as a basis for gaining knowledge?  When I look back over my writings regarding the men who built upon the ideas or philosophy of previous men – so that we have the stronghold we have today – I need to ask myself where was the church; ‘the holder of truth?’ Are we MIA (missing in action)?

 

We need men of God in our pulpits today that are truly called by God. What do I mean? Some years ago when I was the director of our (Operation Mobilization) ship the DOULOS we had Stephen Olford (a well-known English Bible teacher) to come on board and preach to the ship personnel.

 

In a private conversation he told me about a survey done by a major denomination to find out why so many pastors were leaving the pastorate. They came up with four reasons:

1.   The pastorate was a profession and not a calling

2.   Immorality

3.   Love for material things

4.   Biblical illiteracy

 

This last one was the great surprise for me. They did not know the Word of God. I was dumfounded by this. These were men who had their doctorate degrees in theology. They had studied books about the Bible, but they did not know the Word of God.

 

Might God in our generation raise up men and women of God who are filled with the Words of Christ, who “while musing the fire burned and then spoke with their tongues.”

 

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.  And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:16-17

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daily Devotional

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

Don’t be so concerned about perishable things.

 

The only work God wants from you is to believe what He has told you will happen. Remember that human effort accomplishes nothing, so listen to the Father, and you will learn. He will give you everything He has promised you.

 

Trust in the Lord – that He rules from heaven; He over-rules the wicked. He watches everyone closely. Those who are virtuous will see His face. The Lord’s promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over. Even though the wicked strut about and evil is praised throughout the land, God’s children will have hope! Because….

 

The Lord said, “I promise this very day that I will repay two blessings for each of your troubles. I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. By my power I will make My people strong, and by My authority they will go wherever they wish. All who curse them will be cursed, and all who bless them will be blessed. They will pass safely through the sea of distress, I, the Lord, have spoken; for I am the Lord their God, who hears their cries.”

 

Lord, forgive me for doubting. I have decided to break free from what man says he can do, and shake his yoke from my neck. Therefore, Lord, I believe!